Mystic Minerals, The Magic Behind Darcy Angell's Work

Tell us a bit about yourself.. I am completely cat crazy – I share my home with 5 – all rescues. They are my greatest joy. I try to repay that joy by doing whatever I can to help animals. I can’t work in a shelter or foster cats – because I fall in love hard and want to keep them all. So I rescue those that I can and donate 10% of the proceeds from my jewelry business to animal rescue charities. In addition to my jewelry http://www.mysticmineralsjewelry.com, I design, build and show hot rods with my husband http://www.houseofmouseracing.com.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I live in Twinsburg and work as a Business Manager for an electronic media content company. I drive my hot rods to car cruises & shows and try my best to keep up with my extensive flower gardens.


Where do you get your creativity from?
I taught myself most of the arts & crafts that I have done through the years, which include macramé, candle-making, embroidery, enameling and glass fusing as well as jewelry-making.

What got you into the craft hobby?
I learned to make jewelry a long time ago. People would buy my jewelry right off of my ears & neck – time and time again. So I started selling my jewelry at high end shows and stores – and then the internet.


How would you describe your creative process?
The ideas just flow into my head – at all times of the day and especially when I’m making jewelry. I always have three or four designs in my head for every one design I actually have time to make. I sit on the living room floor surrounded by my gems and beads for inspiration – and my cats to help me.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced?
I made a labradorite necklace and earring set for my niece for her college graduation present. We both share a love of labradorite and these stones were the most beautiful I have ever seen. I made it as an heirloom that she will hopefully keep her entire life and pass down through her family.

How did you get your business off the ground?

People kept buying my jewelry as I was wearing it. I always wear my own jewelry as a demo and I always carry a back-up to wear in case it sells. I also started an Etsy store – but I do much better when people can see the jewelry in person. The colors, shapes and movement just don’t show as fully in a photo online as they do when they are physically in front of someone.

What are your goals with your business?

As I stated before, I love to make jewelry and I love to help animals. The money I have left after I make my donations allows me to locate and buy beautiful stones and beads with which to create more jewelry. Any extra cash is icing on the cake.


What do you do in your free time?
Between working full time, making jewelry, doing the hot rod thing and trying to maintain a house, I have no free time. I guess you could consider the jewelry my free time – that’s what I’m always working toward – time to make jewelry.

What's the message behind your work?
I feel that the charity element of my work adds an extra quality of beauty to both the jewelry and its wearer.

Check Darcy and Mystic Minerals out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Natalie Rose Designs.. The Art of Natalie Freedman!

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Natalie Freedman and I am a Jewelry and Metal Artist based out of the Cleveland area. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry and Metals from Kent State University in the Spring of 2010. I currently work at Bella Design Jewelers, a custom Jewelry store in Bainbridge, Ohio, as a Bench Jeweler and a Cad Designer. Most of the jewelry that I make is made from sterling and fine silver and I specialize in the technique of filigree.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

When I am not working on my jewelry, I spend as much time as I can with my family. I try to take time to relax and enjoy the simpler moments in life. I am a singer as well. Not professionally, but for fun. I’m one of those people you see singing at the top of their lungs driving down the road.

Where do you get your creativity from?

Most of my creativity comes from a desire to create beauty. My mother is an inspiration to me and she has always supported my craft and encouraged me to utilize my talents.

What got you into the craft hobby?

My mother. My siblings and I grew up on arts and crafts. You name it, we did it. So I’ve always been an artsy type of person. When I started college my sister was taking a jewelry and metals course. I was intrigued, so I took the course as soon as I could and that’s when my love affair with metal and creating jewelry began.

How would you describe your creative process?

I usually just go into my studio, pick up a piece of metal or my tools and start creating whatever comes to mind. At times I will do sketches if I’m inspired or if I am designing a specific piece for someone.

What is your most favorite item that you have ever produced? 

My favorite item that I made is Magnolia: Perseverance. It is one of my larger show pieces created in the spring of 2010. The piece forms to the wearer’s body and was created using sterling and fine silver wire in the technique of filigree with a hand forged neckpiece. This piece deals with the relationship between women and flowers. A magnolia flower stands for ones perseverance.

How did you get your business off the ground?

I’m still working on it actually. I’m working on getting my name out there and acquiring a larger fan base.

What are your goals with your business?

I hope to create and sell as much as I can. My hope is to one day have my own store/studio where I can sell my own work and other artists as well as teaching classes and doing repair and custom work.

What do you do in your free time?

I don’t have a lot of free time but when I do I like to relax.

What's the message behind your work?

Beauty...

Check Natalie out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

Twitter: @AvantGardeShows

Facebook: Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows

Who is Behind Plastic Daisy? Meet Meagan Gehrke!

Meagan Gehrke is the face behind Plastic Daisy a vendor that will be featured at this year's Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show...

Tell Us About Yourself...
My name is Meagan Gehrke and I am a Fiber Art & Material Studies major at the Cleveland Institute of Art. I chose Fiber Art because it allowed for my constantly changing interests in materials and how they interact with each other and viewers. I was introduced to glass blowing the spring semester of my Freshman year, and I've been interested ever since!

Apart From Creating Things, What Do You Do?
Outside of creating art, I sew and play old games like original Tetris, Galaga and Dig-Dug. I also create costumes for friends and clients (far and few) for events such as Dagorhir and anime conventions.

Where Do You Get Your Creativity From?
I definitely get my creativity from my mom. She's always been artsy. She weaves, knits, crochets and sews. I think being exposed to this kind of materiality in art helped me choose a major in Fiber Art.


What Got You Into Your Craft?
 I craft in the sense that work at a skill until it's perfected. I don't consider myself to fall under the present day notion of "crafting" Each glass flower in individually hand crafted through care and practice. Even though glass making is still categorized as crafting, I see it as a fine art.




How Would You Describe Your Creative Process?
My creative process involves a series of steps that constantly branch off one another. One idea leads to the next, which leads to an ultimate realization, and another idea. Never a final result since my ideas about all of my work are constantly changing.




What Is Your Most Favorite Piece Of Work that You Have Ever Produced?
My most favorite work of art so far would have to be last years Scouring Pad Afghan. It was about 12x8 feet of brass scouring pads connected into a hanging Afghan that was displayed in natural sunlight. That has lead to so many more amazing ideas for me to work on over the summer!

How Did You Get Your Business Off the Ground?
Surprisingly, I never thought I'd be selling my glass flowers for a profit. I created over 200 flowers in 2 months for a public art project in Cleveland during the winter. The idea was to show that everything can be beautiful, even when it's so gloomy.  It wasn't until a friend bought a bunch off of me to help 'lighten the load' when I was packing the project up, I realized I could sell them! Since it was close to Christmas, that friend told another friend and before I knew it I went from 6 buckets of flowers, to 1.

What Are Your Goals With Your Business?
My goal as a business it to keep everyone's gardens beautiful year round! These flowers are originally intended to be outside during the winter to turn the gray gloom into a wonderful array of colors.
 
What Do You Do In Your Free Time?
I play old games and sew costumes for conventions. I also play with my two amazing cat's Fat (14lbs) and Pudge (9lbs).

What's The Message Behind Your Work?

A subtle message behind my work involves the idea that anything can be beautiful if we only take the time to 'decorate' and love it. Decorate in the literal sense of placing the glass flowers in a chosen area to make it pretty, and figuratively the flowers as a symbol of the individuals acceptance of the world as it is, and their recognition of the beautiful things life has to offer. 

Check Meagan out this fall at the Avant-Garde Fall Art & Craft Show on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church at 5500 West 54th St. Parma, OH 44129. Show time runs from 10:00am-5:00pm. This eclectic show will feature 65 of the areas most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to the North East Ohio Make-a-Wish Foundation. For more information or to become a vendor, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com.

It's Official!

Welcome to the official Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show web site! We're very excited to introduce this new page to the public. This page will feature an intimate look at what goes on behind the scenes for each show, and give an insight into our artists' unique stories and imaginative inspiration behind their work. 

Our goal is to feature our vendors leading up to the show with photos of what they will be showcasing as well as a Q&A session about who they are beyond their work! A chance for the public to get a peek into the meaning behind the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows.

Let the story begin..